Skanderbeg SS Division

Albanische SS Divisin Skanderbeg

SS Skenderbey Division

On September 3rd, 1943, when Italy capitulated the German were forced to occupy Albania. They sent in the 100th Jaeger Division from Greece and the 297th Infantry Division from Serbia and the German 1st Mountain Division to occupy Albania, including Kosovo. These troops were organized into the XXI Mountain Corps which was under the command of General Paul Bader. However, the German's realised that additional security forces for Kosovo were needed, as Germans troops would be need for for defense of Albania's coastline. Thus, the decision was made to form Albanian Skanderbeg division for this purpose. Acting upon instructions of the SS war criminal Henrich Himmler, the SS ordered the formation of the Albanian Skanderbeg SS Division on April 17th, 1944. The SS Command in Albania, in conduction with the Albanian National Committee, found some 11,398 possible recruits for the Skanderbeg SS division - most of whom were from Albanian gendarmes, special police and para-military units in Kosovo that were under the direct control of the Albanian Interior Minister Xhafer Deva.

Kosovo Albanians joined Nazis in persecution of the Slavs, Nazi ceremony in Pec 1944

Albanian Nazi's were specially brutal to the Serb Orthodox clergy
Murder of an Orthodox priest in Devic, WW2

Nazism was adopted as a gateway towards establishing Greater Albania
Albanian, German and Italian Nazis together

During the WW2 Albanian Nazi's destroyed many Orthodox shrines
Ruins of Devic monastery. The nuns returned to the ruins of their shrine
after the war in 1950.

Skanderbeg SS Division

SS Skenderbey Division

On September 3rd, 1943, when Italy capitulated the German were forced to occupy Albania. They sent in the 100th Jaeger Division from Greece and the 297th Infantry Division from Serbia and the German 1st Mountain Division to occupy Albania, including Kosovo. These troops were organized into the XXI Mountain Corps which was under the command of General Paul Bader. However, the German's realised that additional security forces for Kosovo were needed, as Germans troops would be need for for defense of Albania's coastline. Thus, the decision was made to form Albanian Skanderbeg division for this purpose. Acting upon instructions of the SS war criminal Henrich Himmler, the SS ordered the formation of the Albanian Skanderbeg SS Division on April 17th, 1944. The SS Command in Albania, in conduction with the Albanian National Committee, found some 11,398 possible recruits for the Skanderbeg SS division - most of whom were from Albanian gendarmes, special police and para-military units in Kosovo that were under the direct control of the Albanian Interior Minister Xhafer Deva.

Kosovo Albanians joined Nazis in persecution of the Slavs, Nazi ceremony in Pec 1944

Albanian Nazi's were specially brutal to the Serb Orthodox clergy
Murder of an Orthodox priest in Devic, WW2

Nazism was adopted as a gateway towards establishing Greater Albania
Albanian, German and Italian Nazis together

During the WW2 Albanian Nazi's destroyed many Orthodox shrines
Ruins of Devic monastery. The nuns returned to the ruins of their shrine
after the war in 1950.